Jimmy Evans
by TheNewJeniferChurch
Summary: Harry runs away to America and eventually joins the Air Force under an assumed name. He ends up on SG-20, and is captured by Herur. His host is damaged, so he tries to take Harry as a replacement. Big mistake. Chapter 3 is up.
1. Chapter 1: The Fourth Champion

**JIMMY EVANS**

 **Chapter 1: The Fourth Champion**

Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. And then Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out —

 _"Harry Potter."_

The sound of his name reverberated into the sudden, stunned silence. Harry's heart dropped. So, he thought, this is how they try to kill me this year. And by the looks on his housemates' faces, they all believed it, not to mention the foreign headmasters and the rest of the students. All were either stunned, angry, or somewhere in the middle.

And in the back room, as they all argued about how unfair it was for Hogwarts to have two champions, Harry just thought about how it was yet another attempt on his life that people somehow thought he wanted. And he'd had enough.

"No."

The various champions and authority figures in the room stopped talking to stare at him. Dumbledore started to speak. "Mr. Potter—"

"No. I didn't enter, I don't want to compete. What happens if I refuse?"

Moody scoffed. "Don't be daft, boy. That contract'll snap your magic like a twig!"

At the end of his rope, Harry snarled back at him. "Will it kill me? Because I don't doubt this bloody contest will!"

"Quiet!" shouted Dumbledore. Then more calmly he said into the silenced room, "Mr. Potter has every right to know the consequences should he fail to compete, as do you all. Refusing the obligation created by the magic of the Goblet of Fire will not cause death, as breaking an Unbreakable Vow would. But if you reject it's fire, then it will bind yours as payment of the debt. You would have no more access to magic than a squib. It wouldn't actually remove it, but you wouldn't be able to use it. And it shouldn't take effect until you don't show up for the First Task. That's on the twenty-fourth of November."

Harry nodded, and turned to leave the room. "I'll be in my dorm." Then he stalked out of the room by a side entrance that he knew would lead to one of the corridors rather than to the Hall. He didn't want to be ambushed by the students. He needed to think. So he went up to his dorm as quickly as he could, but instead of staying there, he grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and headed right back out again. From there he went to the Astronomy Tower, and conjured himself a small three-legged stool with a soft cushion and sat down on it. He slipped the Cloak around his shoulders and arranged it so that everything, including the stool, was hidden.

A life without magic. He knew it would be hard. He hadn't kept up with his Muggle school subjects, so he'd be three and a half years behind everyone else. He supposed it was possible to get caught up, but where would he go? Not back to the Dursleys, certainly. If he was going to run away, it wouldn't be back to them. No, he needed a plan, and he had less than a month to come up with one.

Somehow, Harry wasn't surprised when both Ron and Hermione came up to join him in the Tower. Hermione quietly said, "Cedric told us what you said."

Ron said, "Are you really going to give up your magic?"

He nodded, then remembered they couldn't see him. "Yes. I'm just tired of it all. I can't get through a single year without someone or something trying to kill me, and I'm either revered or reviled by everyone other than you two and a couple of others." He sighed. "Does that make me a coward?"

Hermione reassured him, "No, it doesn't. It makes you human."

Ron said in a small voice, "I have to admit, Harry, I thought you'd done it on purpose until Cedric told us what you said. I'm not proud of that, and I see your point. I would probably have been an insufferable git this year. I hope you can forgive me."

Harry smirked beneath his hood. "At least my dramatics are saving our friendship, then. Of course I forgive you. You're only human, too." He pulled off the Cloak and folded it up, slipping it inside his robes and under the waistband of his pants so he wouldn't lose it.

Hermione asked. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet. I'll have to get caught up on my Muggle school subjects, and I doubt I could really hide anywhere in the country without some wizard or witch recognizing me. Maybe I can emigrate to the States? I don't know. There are a lot of things I'll have to put together, no matter where I go. But since I won't be needing to hide from wizards any more, there's no reason to stay with the Dursleys. That's something, at least."

Hermione said, "I'm going to owl my parents for some ideas. If nothing else, they'll be able to find you a way to get back into school. But Harry, please promise you'll stay in touch with us?"

He gave them both a watery smile. "Of course." Then he hugged them both, and they left together to return to the dorm.

~o~ ~O~ ~o~

For the next three weeks, Harry scrambled as much as he could. He didn't bother going to classes, and he ate his meals in the kitchen rather than go anywhere near the rest of the student body. There were no punishments they could threaten him with since he intended on leaving the school, anyway, and only one had the heart to assign any detentions, anyway. That one was, of course, Professor Snape, but Harry refused to go despite the man's threats. After all, what could they do, but expel him? Dumbledore tried many times to convince him to compete, to save his magic, as did Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey, but he was sure of what he was doing.

He got in touch with Gringott's and requested all of his account information so that he could access his funds from the Muggle world, including a debit card with a £500 daily limit. It would be sufficient to get him started anywhere in the world, and he knew that with the amount of money in his vault, he need never worry about being without financial recourse.

What he did have to worry about was being an unattached minor with a severe educational deficit. This was where the Grangers came in. Mr. Granger had a cousin in the States, specifically in San Antonio, Texas. He and his wife were willing to foster Harry, even to the point of sponsoring him for citizenship if he wanted to go that route. His name was Michael Evans, and Harry thought it was a true omen, as opposed to what Professor Trelawney spouted. His mother's maiden name was Evans, so no one would look sideways at his being fostered by a man named Evans if he started going by her name instead of his father's. So he had his full legal name changed to Harry James Potter-Evans, and on the student visa application it was noted that he went by his middle name, asking to be called James Evans, or Jimmy. It wouldn't be a lie, just a different way of saying the same thing.

Michael Evans and his wife, Carlene, wrote him a letter, sent via the owl Hermione's parents kept, and gave him a list of things he was going to need to bring with him. They also assured him that he was going to be enrolled in a fast-track remedial program that would get him up to grade level, what they called in America the tenth grade, by the time he started it next year. They also sent a bunch of information about San Antonio and Texas in general. One thing caught Harry's eye for sure, and that was Lackland US Air Force Base, home to the 737th Training Group, where you could go after graduating high school to become a member of the Air Force. And after you became a member of the Air Force, you could learn to be a pilot.

Suddenly, Harry knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up.

Still, he wasn't looking forward to 24th November. He didn't have any illusion that losing his magic was going to be a fun process. Madame Pomfrey had made it a point to get out one of her medical textbooks and let him know exactly what he was in for. She had, in fact, demanded that he be in the infirmary at the appointed time or at the First Task having changed his mind. It was going to hurt, like losing a limb, and like losing a limb, he'd still be able to feel that pain, if in a muted way, for the rest of his life. But he'd be alive.

He'd sent Hedwig to Sirius, letting him know what he was about to do, and told her to return his reply to his new address in the States, because he'd be there by the time she arrived. He'd scheduled his flight to San Antonio International Airport, and Michael would be picking him up there. He just about expected Sirius to show up there at some point, but he wasn't certain.

He sent Aunt Petunia an owl with all of the necessary paperwork for her to transfer custody to Mr. and Mrs. Evans, along with self-addressed and pre-paid envelopes to send them to the man in the US. He was not surprised when she signed and sent it all in record time, especially given the £5,000.00 he included with the package and the promise that it would disappear if she didn't sign and send them.

Hermione and Ron had been ranting about how unfair this all was, as had the rest of Gryffindor, so he called a House meeting on the night of the twenty-third. Every student in Gryffindor piled into the Common Room, even to the point of the older students sitting on floating cushions and the younger ones sitting on the stairs. He told them to support Cedric Diggory as the Hogwarts Champion, because he was. He told them that it was his choice to leave rather than be forced to compete in the Tournament, and he told them that it meant he would soon be a squib. Angelina Johnson asked, "Is there no way to just cancel the Tournament or something?"

Harry shook his head. "No, because the legitimate Champions are bound to it as well, and that would just cause them to lose their magic as well."

Fred and George stood up, along with Ron and Ginny, raising their wands into the air. All of Gryffindor soon followed, saluting Harry. George said, "Never were there a truer Gryffindor..."

Fred finished, "than he who stands before us."

Then together they said, "Hail Harry Potter!"

The rest responded, "Hail the Lion of Hogwarts!" It was a traditional salute, usually reserved for the best student in each graduating class. But no one held back, acknowledging Harry's sacrifice for what it was.

Ron helped him pack his trunk, and Fred cast a permanent Feather Light Charm on it. Harry wrote his formal resignation from Hogwarts before going to bed for the last time in Gryffindor Tower. Ron said, "I hate this, Harry. It's not right, what's going on here. You won't forget us, will you?"

He shook his head. "No way, Ron. You're still my friends, and I'll keep writing. I'll still have Hedwig, after all, and maybe I can come visit some time. And I can't take my broom, so I want you to have it. You try out for the team next year, all right?"

Ron's eyes widened. "Really?!"

"Yeah. I'll bet you make a heck of a Chaser!"

That got the conversation on to Quidditch, and off of Harry's impending loss of magic for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Professor McGonagall arrived to escort him to the Tournament. He handed her his resignation instead, scrolled and sealed, and picked up his trunk. "I'll be headed to the infirmary, instead."

She looked upset. Actually, that was an understatement. "Are you sure about this, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes."

Ron and Hermione stood next to him. "We're going to keep you company, mate," said Ron. "There's no use in you going through this alone."

Harry smiled, and said, "Thank you. Both of you."

When they got to the infirmary, however, they found Madame Pomfrey unconscious on the floor. Harry and Professor McGonagall had their wands out in a second, with Ron and Hermione not far behind. They didn't even consciously recognize the figure who stepped out at them, but all four fired spells at him. Hermione had petrified him, Ron had used the spell that had backfired on him last year causing him to begin belching up slugs, Harry went for simplicity and fired a tickling jinx and Professor McGonagall, a much more seasoned (and vicious) dueler, transfigured his clothing into chains. The effect was, um, interesting, to say the least.

Harry went to check on Madame Pomfrey, checking her pulse. But she was alive, just with a major bump on the head. The Professor conjured her Patronus, which was a ghostly version of her own Animagus form, and sent it to the Headmaster to let him know what had happened. They got the mediwitch onto a cot, but then Harry's time ran out.

Down in the Quidditch pitch, the Champions had each drawn a tiny dragon from the bag. And when a fourth hand did not present itself, the flames of the Goblet of Fire suddenly glowed an angry red, streaked through with orange and yellow. The flames contracted into a single point, and then a strong pulse of magic suddenly boomed out of the cup in a wave. It passed through all things harmlessly, until it reached Harry in the infirmary. There the ancient magic of the cup dug into his core and bound it up tighter than a goblin's fist. The pain of it was intense and sudden, for all of two seconds, and then Harry hit the ground and knew no more.

~o~ ~O~ ~o~

When Harry woke, it was dark outside of the infirmary window. Which told him he had been unconscious all day. And—he took a deep steadying breath. He was no longer a wizard. He was now a squib. He didn't really feel any different, but he figured that would set in later. For now, he reached for his glasses where he knew they'd be on the bedside table.

Once he could see again, he sat up in the bed. His head was still aching somewhat, but he was mostly okay.

"Oh, Harry, thank Merlin you're all right!" That came from Hermione, and he turned his head to see her sitting up from where she'd been curled up in a chair.

"How is Madame Pomfrey? Who attacked us?"

"They took her to St Mungo's Hospital in London with a nasty concussion, but they thought she'd pull through just fine. And the man who attacked us was Polyjuiced, pretending to be Professor Moody. But he was actually someone named Barty Crouch Jr. Apparently, he was trying to help You-Know-Who to regain a body and come back to full power. But he needed you to do that for some reason, and tonight was going to be his last chance to get you, so he ambushed us." She shook her head. "Some kind of nasty black stuff oozed out of your scar for an hour or two. Professor Dumbledore actually swore when he saw it! But it stopped, and you survived."

Harry was frowning. "Did he say what it was? I mean if he swore when he saw it, then he must have recognized it, right?"

She said, "He said a word, but I didn't recognize it, and I didn't want to leave you in here to investigate."

He smirked at her. "Something was capable of keeping you out of the library?"

She smacked him lightly on his arm, rolling her eyes. "Well, you're feeling better." Then she sighed. "It's too bad we couldn't have figured out what was going on before today. Then maybe we could have done something to keep you from losing your magic."

He gave her a smile. "It's all right, Hermione. I've accepted it. And really, thanks to you and your family, I'm going to be just fine back out there in the Muggle world."

"I'm glad you think so, Mr. Potter," came a voice from the door. It was Minister Fudge, and he was quite obviously angry. "Because that's where you'll be living! And I am quite flummoxed as to why you would ever think that this was a good idea!"

"That's none of your business, Minister," said Professor Dumbledore. "Mr. Potter has made his decision and accepted the consequences of that decision. Now he must live with them in the best way he knows how, as soon as he is recovered enough to travel. Now, I must ask you to leave. This is an infirmary, not a debate stage, and the patients need to be resting."

Fudge huffed off, rudely slamming the door on the way out, waking Ron in the chair next to Hermione. Harry let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Thank you, sir." He paused, then asked, "What was the black stuff that came out of my scar? Hermione said you recognized it."

Dumbledore sighed and conjured another chair. He usually didn't seem old, despite his visible age, but he did today. "That substance was the residue of a particularly foul kind of magic. It is called a Horcrux, a portion of a person's soul that has been put into a container. Anything can be that container, even another person. And it is so foul because in order to create one, you have to split your soul in the first place. You have to commit a cold-blooded murder to create that split. So long as the piece still lives, so will the murderer, albeit in a very different form."

Harry blanched. "Then it had to have been—"

"Voldemort, yes. But with your magic bound, the Horcrux could not access it either, which caused it to die. Of course, there is no reason to think that he only did this once. In fact, I am fairly certain that there are more of them out there. But at least you need not worry that he will ever require you to make his resurrection possible." He sighed again. "I am only sorry that we could not find some way to help you, Harry. The wizarding world has lost a very bright light this day, and will be all the dimmer for it." He shook his head. "Your trunk is still in here. Will you be needing help to get home to the Dursleys?"

Harry shook his head. He did not, of course, have any intention of telling the man where he was really going. "I've already made arrangements. Gringott's is sending some sort of transport. I'm to take the eight o'clock train tomorrow and they'll pick me up at King's Cross." He smiled a little. "I suppose I'll see you in twenty years, or so. After all, my own children will still be magical, and I'd love for them to come to Hogwarts."

The aged wizard smiled brightly at him. "I look forward to it." Then he straightened a bit in his chair. "You may no longer be a wizard, but you are now and have always been a great person, and you're growing into a fine young man. I know that it's been said before, but I still think we can expect to see great things from you, Harry Potter, even if they are in the Muggle world and not the wizarding world."

~o~ ~O~ ~o~

Most of Gryffindor went down to Hogsmeade to wish him well in his new life. He boarded the train, promising to write soon, hugged Ron and Hermione, then went to find himself a cabin. It wasn't hard, as the train only ran during the school year when there was a ticket bought, and that meant it ran only once a week because very few people used the train to get to London. They usually just Apparated or Flooed in. He hung out the window for a while as the train left the station, waving to everyone and watching Hogwarts fade in the distance. Then, as soon as he could no longer see anyone, he sat down on his bench in the cabin and, with no one there to see it, he curled up and let his tears finally fall.


	2. Chapter 2: The Evans Family

**Chapter 2: The Evans Family**

Harry put his trunk and Hedwig's cage on a trolly, then walked down the platform toward the main entrance, but he was met by two goblins who waved him over. "Mr. Potter, we are here to pick you up and take you to Gringotts. Please come this way."

He followed the two goblins toward a side exit, which led toward a garage with several cars in it. They led him to a long black car, put his trunk in the boot, and held the door open for him to get in. One of the goblins then went to the driver's door, and the other got into the back with him.

The car was a limousine, and there were two sets of seats in the back, one of which faced the rear of the car, and this is where the goblin sat. He said, "I am Stonepick, Mr. Potter, and I have been handling your highly unusual requests over the last six weeks. There are a few matters that we'll need to attend to at the bank before you can complete your move to the United States, and I'll be helping you with them."

"What kinds of things?"

"The fact that you are now a technical squib would, legally, have put you in a bind, if not for your foresight in taking care of these matters ahead of time. As it is, the Muggles you've chosen as your guardian have completed the paperwork on their end and have sent us notarized original copies of everything. We've also received everything from your maternal aunt and verified that all is in order. We have your new identification papers with the prescribed changes, your debit card along with copies of all account information in Muggle formats so that you can use your accounts in the Muggle world, and accounting statements of your vault that you may examine at your leisure. Also included are items and information which you will need to access your full inheritance when you turn seventeen, and a copy of the MACUSA Constitution, federal, state, and local laws that pertain to magical persons and persons in the know."

The car bumped twice, and it became noticeably darker. Harry assumed they had entered a tunnel of some kind, which would make sense for the goblins.

"Finally, we've included all information you'll require to contact us through the Muggle post if it should be required for any reason, and a working telephone number that's accessible through international dialing." The car came to a stop, and Stonepick opened the door. He got out first, then Harry followed him. They soon exited into the bank proper, but he was led off to a side office. He sat in a chair in front of a large desk and Stonepick moved behind that desk to his own chair. "Do you have any questions so far, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes. When is my flight?"

"Tomorrow at noon. You'll leave Heathrow at 12:00 and arrive at San Antonio International Airport ten and a half hours later, at 4:30 PM local time, given no delays. Mr. Evans will be there to pick you up."

"Then I have time to do a little shopping. I'd like at least a couple of outfits of Muggle clothing that actually fits me before I leave. I'll buy more on that side of the pond, but I'll need a few things while traveling."

Stonepick nodded. "There is one shop in Diagon Alley that you'll be able to buy a few things from. They keep Muggle clothing stocked especially for Aurors and others who need to do business in the Muggle world. After that, I would suggest food and bed. When a flight leaves at noon, you'd best be there by eight. Would you like to stay at the Leaky Cauldron for tonight?"

Harry nodded. "That'll be fine. I'll ask Tom to sneak me in quietly."

"I understand. The circumstances of your departure from the wizarding world have been made very public, and the wizards are likely to have some very intrusive reactions to seeing you. I'll send a notice to him immediately."

"Thank you, Stonepick, for everything. I truly appreciate the help you've given me in dealing with this horrible mess of a situation."

Stonepick nodded, accepting the thanks as he would not have from another human. Wizards were, as a group, very prejudiced people.

~o~ ~O~ ~o~

That night before he went to bed, Harry sat up for a while, wondering how Hedwig was doing since he had sent her to Sirius. Harry knew that Sirius was in South America somewhere, so he would be able to bring her with him as he traveled northward. He also made sure his new carry-on bag was packed with those things he'd need on the plane, including the information packet on American magical law and a book called "The Fellowship of the Ring" (one of three Hermione had given him as a going away present) to read on the plane.

He ordered room service and ate dinner in his room at the Leaky Cauldron. He wondered for a split second if there was any homework he needed to be doing-then stopped. He had no homework. He would never have homework to do in Potions, or Charms, or Transfiguration, ever again. Instead he'd be learning Maths, and Science, and Literature. No more magic. Of course, he'd never had magic over the summers, but it was something he could look forward to. But he'd thrown it away by refusing to compete. He'd chosen his life over his magic. It was going to take some getting used to, some settling in. But was it the right choice?

He must have said it aloud, because the mirror over the bureau said, "If you can live with yourself, dearie, you made the right choice."

He stared at the glass, and the ghostly face that floated in it. "Thanks."

Only time would tell, he supposed.

~o~ ~O~ ~o~

Harry stood up with all of the other passengers to get off the plane, glad to be moving about after ten and a half hours. He slung his carry-on over his shoulder, and disembarked, looking around for the man who had accepted guardianship of him. He had a picture from the files they'd sent back, so he knew roughly what Michael Evans looked like, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to spot him in this crush of human bodies. After all, Harry was still on the lower side of average height for a fourteen-year-old.

But, as he came out of the gate, he saw the man standing there, just off to the side. He was tall, with sandy brown hair and blue eyes, dressed in a tee shirt with a pocket and blue jeans. The man stood with his hands in his pockets, and he had a ball cap on his head that said NASA.

Harry walked over to him, and he held his hand out to shake. "Hello," he said as they shook hands, "are you Harry Potter?"

But Harry shook his head. "I used to be. Now I'm Jimmy Evans."

"And I'm Mike. Pleased to meet you, Jimmy. Let's go get your baggage."

They went to the baggage claim and found Harry's trunk. Mike said, "That thing looks like it weighs a ton."

"It's lighter than it looks." Mike picked it up by the handles at each end, and it was a lot lighter than he was expecting, but he just nodded.

"My truck's in the valet lot. We'll just pop this into the bed and be on our way. Your letters said something about a pet?"

"I have an owl named Hedwig. She's a postal owl, and I sent her with a letter to my godfather to let him know what's going on. She'll make her own way here after she delivers it."

"That's handy, not having to pay for international postage. Those prices'll kill ya. So, I've been working on the paperwork on this side of the water, and there are a few things you're going to have to sign, but it's all set regardless. You'll be getting a green card, and until you get caught up with your grade level, we'll be home schooling you. It's a self-paced program, so you can move as fast or as slow as you need to, and usually kids move a lot faster in home schooling than they do in public school. Whether you decide to stay with home schooling or go to school once you get caught up will be totally up to you. Another thing you'll need to decide is whether you want to become a citizen or not, but I figure you don't have to make that decision until you're no longer a student."

The valet chose that moment to bring Mike's pickup around, a dark blue Ram 2500. He then had Harry get into the right-hand side of the seat, and he thought for a wild moment that the man intended for him to drive the thing, but then he realized that the steering wheel was on the other side. For that matter, people were driving on the right side of the road!

"So," said Mike, "what happened to make you lose your magic?"

Harry, or rather, Jimmy said, "Ever since I was introduced to the wizarding world, people have been trying to kill me. In my first year it was the person who killed my parents, even though he was mostly dead. In second year it was his sixteen-year-old memory trapped in a book. In third year it was a flock of over a hundred dementors trying to eat my soul. And this year, they had this tournament, and it was only for those students who were seventeen or older, but somehow my name not only got submitted without my permission, but chosen, and it was a binding magical contract, so when I refused to participate, it bound my magic. And even this tournament was another way for Voldemort to try to kill me. He'd had the Defence teacher replaced by one of his followers, and when I backed out, he tried to kill me as I was leaving." He shook his head. "I'm just done being the Boy Who Lived. I want to just be a regular kid."

Mike smiled softly at him. "I get that. All right, Jim, let's stop and grab some dinner, enough for you, me and Carlene. Then we'll go on to the house."

They went through the drive thru of a restaurant called What-A-Burger and got three meals with chips and fizzy drinks, then drove on to what was to be Jimmy's new home. The ride was a quiet one as he looked around at the scenery as it was passing them by, slowly going from big city to suburb, to slightly country.

Finally they pulled into a long rock drive lined with short trees that had were brilliant with the colors of fall. At the end of that drive was a big two-story brick house with white trim and shutters and a wide wrap-around porch. There were all kinds of plants on the porch, and Jimmy spotted three or four cats in various places before a pack of dachshunds came tearing in out of the back to chase them.

"Is this a farm?" Jimmy asked.

Mike grinned. "No, not really. Farms are in it for the money. We just grow food and have animals for fun. I buy and sell real estate and Carlene is a nurse." He looked off to the side and saw something that made him grin. Jimmy looked, and saw a green pickup and two blue cars in the drive. "Looks like the kids came by to meet you."

Sure enough, lured out by the sound of tires on the gravel and dogs barking insanely, three women and a man emerged from the house, all with steaming mugs of coffee in hand. One of the women was older, portly, with wire-rimmed glasses on a pleasant set of blue eyes that had crows feet from lots of laughing and short, curly, black hair liberally salted with silver. She was dressed in a flower-print tee and long shorts. The others were all in their thirties and dressed in various combinations of tees and jeans. He couldn't tell which of them was eldest, but one of them looked a lot like the older woman, while the other two looked more like Mike. Of those two, the man, had the same sandy brown hair as Mike, but the woman had dyed her hair electric blue. The one who looked like the older woman wore her hair longer than all the rest, and had dyed it a dark red color.

Jimmy shook his head. "I didn't know you had children."

"Well, they're all grown up and living their own lives. Gwen is married with three of her own, who are all probably running around in the back yard, Tess is teaching high school, and Adam is running a restaurant. Gwen's husband Brad is a freestyle journalist, and she stays home to raise and school their kids." Mike looked him in the eye. "Now they don't know about magic, just to let you know. I've only known since Hermione contacted me, but we do have permission to tell them." He paused. "Do you think any of Gwen's kids might show up magical?"

Jimmy appreciated that Mike was trying to distract him from being nervous. He said, "It's possible. There's already one magical person in your family, so it follows that there might be more to come."

"That would be great! Now, are you ready?"

Jimmy smiled at him, and even though he was more nervous than he had ever been, he nodded. So they exited the pickup, and suddenly there were three dachshunds surrounding him, barking.

The older woman, who had to be Mike's wife Carlene, called out, "Bach! Chopin! Mozart! Leave him alone!" The little dogs obediently went to her—for about two seconds, before they were back around his ankles. "Stubborn animals," she muttered. "In the back, you three!" This time they obeyed, running into the house, and out of sight. She came up to him, a big grin on her face. "Welcome to Texas, Harry!"

He smiled at her. "Actually, I'm going by my middle name, now, or Jimmy."

She nodded. "Well, all right then. Let's get your stuff inside. Did you want a quick shower before dinner? I know long flights are a pain."

"No, that's fine."

"All right, then. We're cooking out tonight, take advantage of the weather before it gets cold and rainy for winter. You're a lot further south than you're used to. We won't get much in the way of snow here. Adam, could you help your Dad with that trunk? Is that and this bag all you've brought?" He nodded. "Well, we'll see what kinds of clothes you've got and if you need any more, but we can hold off on that until tomorrow. It's eleven at night back in England, so we'll want to get you fed and in bed soon, but you want to stay up at least until seven here, which is another two hours. That'll help you sleep 'till morning, and you can sleep just as long as you want."

Gwen waited for her mother to take a breath, then said, "Mom says you've got an owl for a pet?"

"Yeah. Hedwig's not here yet, though."

"Well they have to quarantine them. You feed her mice and stuff like that?"

"Usually I let her go hunting, though she's not averse to stealing bacon off of my plate in the mornings." Jimmy didn't like lying to her, especially when her own children might very well be magical, but it was necessary for now.

Carlene said, "We have birds here, but they're chickens, not predators. We'll have to make sure she knows they're not food."

Tessa said, "There's coffee in the kitchen if you want some. Or do you drink tea?"

"Usually tea in the evenings, but coffee in the morning."

"Okay, everyone, let's let him get inside, and then you can interrogate him," said Mike.

Carlene stuck her tongue out at him, but then grinned. "Come on. I'll show you your room. We put a primer on the walls, but we figured we'd let you choose your own paint colors. There's a bed, a dresser and a desk. If you need anything else, we'll see what we can do about it."

They reached the porch and Tessa held the screen door open while everyone else went inside, Mike and Adam juggling Jimmy's trunk. The house was bright and airy, with a light green paint on the walls off-set by big pieces of leather and wooden furniture. The leathers were worn and scuffed, and the woods were stained and scored, but there were also several colorful afghans and rugs to keep it looking homey instead of shabby. The sitting room opened right onto a dining area and the kitchen, and there was a large study area that took up one whole wall of the dining area.

They didn't get to the other half of the house, though, before a little girl came running through the house screeching at the top of her lungs. She was followed closely by a boy about eight years old, and they were being chased by another boy about ten who had some kind of lizard in his hand and was threatening to touch them with it, making his best impersonation of Godzilla noises.

Gwen shouted, "Darryl Keith! Stop chasing the kids! And get that thing out of the house, preferably where the dogs won't eat it. Dennis Gene, Dolores Kate, quit running in the house. Has everyone finished their lessons? Darryl, is your school work done?"

The older boy said, "Yes, ma'am."

"And is the toy room picked up?"

"Um, mostly."

"Well, go un-mostly it. And Denis, did your finish your math?"

"I tried to, but there's a couple I'm not sure about."

"Okay, we'll go over those in the morning. Katie, did you get your spelling words done?"

"Yes, Mamma."

"Good girl. Now go on you three. There's a cake for desert and you're not getting any of it if you're not clean as a whistle before Daddy gets here."

There were various affirmative shouts as the kids made to do as they'd been told. Gwen shook her head at her brood fondly. "I love 'em all but some days I just want to pull my hair out."

Carlene grinned at her. "Why do you think my hair is so short?"

"I thought that was Dad's fault."

Mike's voice came down the stair well. "I heard that! Come on up, Jim. I'll show you where your room is."

The stair well and the upstairs corridor were lined with photographs of the family, and not just those he'd already met, but several different families that were related to them, including several of Hermione and her parents. That thought made him smile. He was now sort of related to one of his best friends. That meant he wouldn't be losing her.

The bedroom was sparse at the moment, but that, as Carlene had explained, was because they wanted to allow Jimmy to decorate it for himself. The bed was covered by a hand-made duvet and had clean white sheets on it that looked quite new. But the furniture was worn and well-loved, just as it was throughout the rest of the house. Adam asked, "What colors do you like?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't ever had the choice before. The dorms at my old school were all colored to the house team colors, and my mother's family would never allow any color but white on any wall." Not to mention not caring one wit what their nephew wanted, but he didn't say that.

He shrugged. "Well you've got plenty of time to figure it out. Mom and Dad won't want to paint until spring, anyway."

Jimmy nodded.

Adam said, "All right, well I'm going to go help Mom in the kitchen. She's making enough to feed an army in there."

"That's because of the Munchkins."

On the way back to the kitchen, Mike pointed out the various bedrooms, the loo, and the fire extinguisher. Then they all went back down stairs, followed by Darryl who had finally finished picking up the toys in the toy room, which was where Gwen's children slept when they stayed the night.

Mike said, "Why don't you follow me out into the back yard? We'll get the fire started in the grill."

And Mike's grill was a thing of beauty. It was a big propane grill set inside a virtual outdoor kitchen, with a wood-fired oven on one side and a big counter space on the other. Under the countertop were stacks and stacks of wood for the oven, all cut to the same length. "My culinary skills are limited to grilling, pizza, and mac and cheese, so this is my kitchen and the one inside is Carlene's." He sat the big plate of uncooked burgers, which was covered by a glass cloche, and turned on the fire. He let it start to get hot, and then took out a scraping tool and started to loosen any left-over blackened residue from the last time it had been used. "We're a big family when we all get together like this. I know when you were home it was just your aunt, uncle and cousin, so it might be a bit of an adjustment."

"That's all right. The less I'm reminded of them, the better." His eyes widened, not quite believing he'd said that.

Mike looked at him for a long moment. Then he said, "Well, let's get cooking."

Jimmy nodded, grateful to the other man for dropping the subject. He must be really tired to have spoken about the Dursleys like that, even obliquely.

The burgers didn't take too long to cook, and by the time they were done, Gwen's children were setting the table. The food was all set out on the island in the middle of the kitchen, and every one took a plate in hand and put their own meal together, buffet style. Gwen helped Katie, who wasn't quite tall enough to reach it all yet. Then everyone sat down at the long dining table, which had been extended with inserts to accommodate the numbers. Gwen's husband, Brad was introduced as he came in and kissed all of his children, including Darryl, who said he was too old for that sort of thing.

Then, once everyone was seated, Mike said, "Everyone bow your heads." Then when they had, he began to pray, which was something Jimmy had never encountered. "Our Lord in heaven, we give You thanks for all that You have done for us. We thank You for the food on our table and for the family around it. We ask Your blessing as we add a new member to our family, and that You help him in the days ahead as he becomes one of us. We thank You for all that we have, and most importantly, for the sacrifice of Your Son to save us from our sins. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen."

The family chorused, "Amen." And then they all started to eat and talk. Tessa asked Jimmy, "So, what was it like being in a boarding school? And is that common in Britain?"

By that question, the conversation stayed mostly around school and work subjects for the rest of the evening, something Jimmy was grateful for, even though he had to be very circumspect about the kinds of learning he had done. He decided this was a family much like the Weasleys, though not with as many siblings per generation. They were warm and loving, teasing one another, but not disparaging. They couldn't have been less like the Dursleys if they'd tried. But neither were they as intensely loud as the Weasleys. They had different opinions about politics, but they could have a civil discussion about it. Tessa thought her sister was crazy for homeschooling, but she wasn't rude or condescending about it. Adam had no intention of being a parent ever, nor did Tessa, while Gwen was happy as a hen with her chickens, and the other two were happy to be aunt or uncle.

Jimmy told them what he could of his school career, trying to keep it down to dorm life, sports and teachers rather than mentioning any actual subjects. When it became obvious that he was going to fall asleep at the table, though, Mike stood up and helped him get back to his room. He got into his jim jams and then he lay down. The bed was just as comfortable as the one in Gryffindor tower, and his last thought before drifting off to sleep was that he had finally found a home.


	3. Chapter 3: A New Life

_Note: I am not going to turn this into a religious story. But this is a religious family, and there's no way that they aren't going to teach him about their religion. Also, since this will eventually be a SG-1 crossover, it needs to be said that the worldview here is theistic evolution. That is not my own worldview, but it's the only thing that makes everything work together for the sake of the story._

 _BTW, this is going to be a long story. There are several chapters that fill in the beginnings of things for Jimmy, and then we'll do a time skip chapter. Those of you who think flames are a way to make people do what you want have just found your reviews removed. I won't put up with that kind of thing. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all._

 **Chapter 3: A New Life**

When Harry-no, _Jimmy-_ woke up the next morning, it took him a moment to remember where he was and that his name had changed. It was still dark out, and a quick look at the glowing digital clock next to his bed revealed that it was four o'clock in the morning. He pulled the string on the lamp and sat up, then put his glasses on. Then he saw the note that had been left on top of a book. It turned out to be a Bible. The note read, "Jim, this Bible is a gift to you to welcome you to our family. I understand that you haven't ever been taught to be religious, and let me be clear that it is not a condition of membership in this family. But we believe in God, and we've taught our children to believe as well. If nothing else, reading this book will give you a clearer background on us and why we do some things the way we do. The existence of magic made us have to think about a few things, but I think I've figured out the way it fits into God's world. I'll share my opinions on that over the next few days. I meant to give it to you before you went to bed, but I forgot to figure in the jet lag. We'll see you at breakfast, or whenever the rooster wakes us up." It was signed by Mike.

Jimmy was curious. He'd never been exposed to anything religious. For all that wizards swore by Merlin, they didn't worship him as a god. He'd heard that some purebloods worshiped like the old druids, but no one had ever taught him about it, and the Dursleys certainly hadn't, being non-religious themselves.

Taking another quick look at the clock, he stood and put on his house slippers, went down the hall to the loo. He took a shower, making sure to put his towel into the bin he noticed for that purpose. Then he went back to his room and put on his clean shirt and jeans. He'd need to buy some more clothing soon, but it would have to wait until everyone was up and had breakfast at the very least.

Thinking of breakfast, he went down stairs, his new book in hand, and placed it on the kitchen table. He turned on the light and looked around the kitchen, getting a feel for where everything was, and what was available. In the ice box he found eggs and ground sausage, milk and orange juice. Further exploration found the coffee maker and supplies, a box of pancake mix and a bottle labeled pancake syrup, as well as a big cast iron skillet and a good heavy flipper. He got to work, starting the coffee first, then making a double batch of pancakes, then covering the plate he'd landed them on with a small clean towel. Then he made bangers with the ground sausage and scrambled a dozen eggs. He thought that was enough for the number of people in the house, so he poured himself a cup of coffee, put some eggs, a banger and a pancake on a plate and applied syrup. Then he took his breakfast to the table and started cleaning up his station.

That was when the back door opened, to admit Carlene and a large basket of fresh eggs. "Hey, that smells great! Let me help you clean all that up. It'll get done faster and you can enjoy your breakfast while it's still hot." She set the basket down on the island to be dealt with later.

He smiled at her, and together they knocked out the breakfast dishes, then sat down at the table to enjoy breakfast. Carlene said, "Tess and Adam went home last night, but Gwen, Brad and the kids stayed over, so I'm glad you fixed as much as you did. Brad'll probably be down next, because he's got to go in to work, and then Gwen because she can't sleep after he gets up. Then Mike and then the kids." She took a sip of her coffee, to which she had added a good amount of a caramel flavored cream, then said, "Gwen's helping us to get you set up with your home schooling. She's going to give you an assessment to see where you are academically, and then she'll tailor a program to bring you up to grade level as quickly as possible. Then Mike and I will help you get through that program, and you can choose to go to high school or keep home schooling through high school."

Jimmy nodded. "I understand." He looked at his new Bible. "I was wondering about this. I know what it is, in a general way, but I've never looked at one before."

Carlene looked shocked, but she quickly recovered. "Well, we'll fix that. How do wizards believe the world was made?"

"According to our astronomy teacher, the universe was born out of a magical explosion and no one knew how long ago that explosion happened."

"Do the wizards in Britain practice any kind of religion?"

He shrugged. "Some practice druidism or wicca. But even they're pretty rare."

She shook her head. "A society who has access to a completely non-scientific force is mostly atheistic. That's amazing."

"Why?"

"Because it means they're not even wondering where they came from. It sounds to me like they don't know and don't care to find out. That just sounds lazy to me."

Jimmy shrugged. "I have noticed that most witches and wizards don't care about anything but their own lives."

"Just lost sheep, then."

"Yeah."

Carlene patted his hand and said, "Well you are not going to be one of them. We'll make sure you have enough information to have an informed opinion on the matter."

"Really? About everything? Most adults I know think they have to protect children from information."

"And that's why you have a society of lost sheep. No one asks questions, or thinks they're supposed to."

They just sat for a few minutes in companionable silence. Then Jimmy said, "Hermione's not like that."

She nodded. "No. But she has a severe library addiction, and still, to my knowledge, has no religious opinion." She waved vaguely. "Not that loving books is a bad thing. I just think she trusts them too much. She doesn't make sure that what she reads is true."

Thinking of Lockhart, Jimmy could only nod in agreement.

Brad and Gwen actually came down together, and Brad grabbed coffee, used a pancake like a wrap, and piled it with eggs and bangers, then ran out the door with a quick thanks for breakfast and a peck on the cheek from his wife. Gwen grinned and made herself a plate then came to sit next to her mother. "One of these days he'll leave here on time."

"And then Jesus will come back and take us all away."

"Mom!"

Carlene just grinned at her.

Gwen rolled her eyes, laughing softly. Tasting her breakfast, she said, "Hmm! This is different. You usually don't do breakfast links."

"I still don't. I came back in from getting the eggs, and Jimmy had made breakfast."

The younger woman raised her eyebrows appreciatively. "Wow. A kid who works without being told."

"I know. I've never seen one of those."

"Mom!"

"What?"

Then the two started giggling, leaving absolutely no doubt as to their relation. Jimmy was grinning at them, just kind of basking in the family atmosphere. Then Gwen said, "Well, it's Saturday, so I think we won't do any school work today. I do have some planning to get done, but I can do that later. Did you two or Dad have anything planned for today?"

Jimmy said, "I need to do a little shopping. My old clothes from home are—um—useless, and my school clothes aren't good for anywhere but that school." He didn't mention that they were day robes and dress robes, or that his only Muggle clothes were Dudley's cast-offs.

"So, shopping for clothes and toiletries, and some school supplies as well, I think. I don't know how much you have left over from your boarding school."

"Nothing I can use here."

"All right, so I'll make us a list and we can hit Rolling Oaks, Wal-Mart and Dollar Tree."

"Are you _trying_ to kill us?" came Mike's voice from the stair well.

"Mike—"

"Carlene, I hate shopping."

"Yes, but he doesn't have what he needs. Plus we need to get some Christmas shopping done _before_ Black Friday, because by then it'll be _really_ bad."

~o~ ~O~ ~o~

Jimmy learned something new that day. To American women, shopping was much like a sport. There were rules of engagement, strategies and tactics, and above all, fun. Unless, of course, you were the boy or man they dragged along for the ride. When he told them he had his own money to spend on clothes and school supplies, they looked at each other, and in a virtually telepathic display, they decided without talking that he would only be allowed to spend a hundred dollars, and that none of it would be on the necessities, but to get himself a few things if he wanted them. Carlene said, "Mike and I wouldn't have agreed to take you in if we couldn't afford what you need, honey." He nearly burst into tears when he realized they meant it, that they had taken him in because they cared. Mike got angry realizing that it meant his previous guardians had held his needs over his head, but he didn't blow up in front of Jimmy like he wanted to.

They bought him a full wardrobe of every-day clothes, including shirts, trousers, socks, pants and shoes, and then insisted on buying him one three-piece suit and a selection of ties, as well as a new pair of dress shoes that came pre-broken so that they wouldn't give him blisters. They bought a few jumpers since the colder weather was coming on, and one thick winter coat with a pair of knit gloves. They bought a ton of Christmas decorations, but not a tree. Mike said he'd just cut one of his own from their own property. They bought several gifts for various family members, but not Jimmy's because he was there with them. Jimmy bought a couple of gifts, as well, planning to send them to Professor McGonagall's mail box so that she could distribute those gifts that were meant for people in the wizarding world.

Then they started buying school supplies. Gwen told him that his school books wouldn't be arriving until the first of the year, so the only things he would need now were basic supplies; pens and pencils, art supplies, various kinds of paper, notebooks, an expensive graphing calculator, and a stack of computer disks. He also bought himself a calligraphy set, since he was so used to writing with a quill. He thought he could use it when he wrote to his friends back in Britain.

They finished their shopping at Rolling Oaks Mall, then ate lunch at the food court. Jimmy was introduced here to several different American cuisines, though he didn't eat them all. There was an ice cream shop, one that sold only cookies, one that sold all kinds of sweets, American versions of Chinese and Italian, a fried chicken restaurant and something called a corn dog that was a frank on a stick dipped in a sweet cornmeal batter and deep fried, served with brown mustard. There was a sticky bun shop that sold a cinnamon roll the size of Katie's head, a sandwich shop, and one that sold big, soft, salty pretzels. Jimmy ate a pretzel, a corn dog, and a fried chicken sandwich with pickles. He was quite full, which he was not used to for lunch, but Gwen assured him he'd need the energy, as they still had Wal-Mart and Dollar Tree to shop at, which were not at the mall.

That evening, back at the Evans home, Jimmy did indeed get hungry again, though they kept dinner fairly light in deference to the huge meal they'd had at mid-day. Mike prayed before the meal, and then sat down in the living room with Jimmy to help him shine his shoes for church in the morning. "Tomorrow being Sunday, you'll need to get up by seven so that you don't have to run around like a headless chicken trying to get to the meeting house by nine."

"What will I be expected to do?" Jimmy asked. "I've never been to any kind of church before."

"Right. The way we do worship in our religion is pretty simple. At nine we have Bible classes, which is just like a school class. You'll study the Bible in whatever subject the teacher is working on at the time. And don't worry. They'll know you're coming out of no religious experience. Brother Shank is going to help you get started on that. Then at ten we have worship services. There will be singing and prayer, scripture reading, the contribution and the communion and then Brother Moore will present a sermon. Right now he's doing a series on Christian evidences. Then, since this is the fourth Sunday of the month, we'll be having lunch with the congregation."

In a thoughtful voice, Jimmy said, "That's a lot less complicated than I was expecting. Why do we get dressed up, then?"

Mike looked at him, but he wasn't being snarky, just curious. "It's simple because that's the way God has asked us to worship him. But we're still worshiping God, and we show respect for the importance of that by dressing our best."

Nodding in understanding, Jimmy turned his attention to his shoes. He'd never kept up with his shoes at Hogwarts, but he supposed it was something he would need to do from now on.

~o~ ~O~ ~o~

The church that the Evans family went to was a strange mix of formal and casual. While the classes and the service were treated with the utmost reverence, the atmosphere was that of a family gathering. _Everyone_ knew that the Evans family had a new child, and _everyone_ wanted to meet him.

Lunch was potluck, which meant that each family brought a dish and it was all served buffet style. Expecting everyone to bring food to a party was a very unusual concept, and he couldn't help but think the Dursleys would have been utterly offended by being asked to do so, but he liked the idea. Everyone shared in the cost and everyone had a good time, talking and catching up with one another.

During a lull in the conversation, Jimmy took out his new Bible and looked at the memory verse he had been given, Romans 5:3-4. _And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;_ _and perseverance,_ _character; and character, hope._ It was a good saying, and it matched his life. The troubles he had faced already in his short life had certainly produced perseverance, and the strength of character to get out, not allowing himself to be abused any longer by wizarding Britain.

A tall girl with curly dark hair came over to where he was sitting and pulled a chair up to sit next to him. She had olive skin and brown eyes in a square face that was very pretty. "Hi. Jimmy, right?" He nodded. "I'm Nacole Nelson. How are you liking the States?"

"It's different, but I think I'm going to like it. It's a lot friendlier than I'm used to, for one."

"That's Texas for you. Where will you be going to school?"

"Mike and Carlene said they're going to home school me until the start of next year just to make sure I'm where I should be academically, and then they'll let me choose to continue home school or start at a high school somewhere. They didn't really mention which one, but I only arrived here Thursday."

"I think it would be awesome if we both went to school together. I go to Judson High School in Northeast. I'm pretty sure you live in that area."

Jimmy smiled at her. "That would be great. At least I'd know someone already."

"Nacole, go and help your mother corral the twins, please."

They both looked up to see a very big man with very dark skin looking down at them. Nacole said, "Yes, Daddy." Then she said to Jimmy, "I'll see you at tonight's services."

Mr. Nelson said, "You're Mike's new kid, right?"

Taking his cues from how Mike had addressed him when first they met, Jimmy stood to put himself on a more even footing with the man. He held his hand out to be shaken. "Yes sir. James Evans, and I go by Jimmy."

Mr. Nelson nodded and shook his hand. "Kenny Nelson."

"Nacole was asking me where I'll be going to school."

"I understand. Mike told me something of your circumstances. Judson is a good school, and Mike knows that. All three of your new siblings graduated from it." He smiled at him, reducing the amount of intimidation he had been putting out. "I think you're going to do just fine here, Jimmy."

He walked away, and Gwen plopped down beside Jimmy in the seat Nacole had just vacated. "I see you've met the Nelsons. Did Kenny try to warn you off of Nacole?"

"No. I think he was going to, but something stopped him."

"Seeing me coming from across the room, probably. He's way too protective of her. Nacole has a good head on her shoulders, and he should trust that she won't do something stupid when it comes to boys."

"Maybe. But boys in general probably worry him."

"I suppose so. Most men act that way, the good ones, anyway. Anyway, Dad's looking for you."

Jimmy looked around and spotted Mike working to clear some tables off. He spent the rest of the luncheon helping to clean up, but his thoughts occasionally strayed to Nacole, and he hoped she would become his friend.

~o~ ~O~ ~o~

Monday morning, Jimmy did as was becoming customary to him and went down stairs to make breakfast. But this time everyone was already up. Coffee and a choice of either cold or hot cereal were waiting for him. Gwen's children were also up and eating their cereal with milk and fruit and were drinking juice.

"Pull up a chair. These monsters are on their Winter Break, so they don't have any school today. But since you have four years to make up before next September, I think we're going to need to push it. You won't have to do work through Christmas or the other holidays, but you're going to have a lot of work and I want to give you as much time for it as possible. This week, though, we're just going to do assessments to find out where you should start in each subject." She paused and took a sip of her coffee. "As soon as breakfast dishes are cleared, I'll set you the math test."

~o~ ~O~ ~o~

The testing was gentle, but it lasted all week with five different exams; math, science, history, reading and writing. He was actually up to grade level in reading and writing, so his language arts classes would consist of reading several novels, magazines and newspapers and doing written reports on them, as well as preparing a speech for the end of the term. He wasn't too bad in math, since some of the types of equations were used in potion making, but he did need to cover Algebra I, as he would have been doing that this year in school. In science and history, however, he was in full remediation and was going to have his hands full. Not only had his education in those areas been abandoned after age ten, but his history had all been given with a British focus, and he would now have to learn it from an American one.

But the testing was the only thing they did for now. Jimmy had missed Thanksgiving, an American holiday celebrating the first European settlement of what became the United States, because it had occurred on the day of the First Task. Other than reading his Bible every day, there were no assignments, because for this family, it was Winter Break. School would start again after the New Year.

Hedwig arrived finally, bearing a letter from Sirius Black. He was working his way toward the US, trying to make it there for Christmas. He'd bought a wand from a maker in Brazil, so he was Apparition hopping, but there was a funnel ward all along the Mexico-US border to prevent illegal immigration by magicals, so he was going to have to deal with MICE (Magical Immigration and Customs Enforcement). But if he could prove to them his innocence, then he would be able to come to San Antonio.

 _Note: US magical society will follow a more realistic approach than having then entire thing be based in New York. The US is huge, spanning a continent, and in many places heavily populated. While having the MACUSA seated in New York makes sense, there must also be state and local governments, and Ilvermorny and Salem Institute cannot be the only two schools in the country. This information will not be important for some time to come, but it's best I say it now so there will not be any confusion. What IS important right now is that Rappaport's Law, which completely segregated the No-Maj and magical communities in the United States following one of the most serious breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy of all time was repealed in 1965._


	4. Chapter 4: Jimmy's First Christmas

**Chapter 4: Jimmy's First Christmas**

Sirius sat quietly where he had surrendered to American authorities in the temporary detention area of MICE's Eagle Pass office in Texas. It was a major crossing point from Mexico into the US for wizard and No-Maj alike, and it was here that Sirius was hoping to gain sanctuary from those in Britain who wanted him dead by requesting political asylum. He also hoped, though he couldn't guarantee it, of course, to be with Harry and his new family for Christmas.

"Mr. Black?"

Sirius looked up to see a tiny woman with dark brown hair confined in a business-like bun at the back of her head. "Yes, that's me."

"I am Holly Barnes, your attorney in this matter. If I am to help you, I will need to know the particulars of your case. You understand that we are very concerned given the nature of the warrants coming out of the UK."

"I understand. I'm prepared to prove my statements to the United States, an opportunity I was not granted in Britain."

"Good. The government requires three proofs from you before it will even consider not extraditing you back to the British Ministry; a magical oath, questioning under Veritaserum, and a witness who can verify your statements."

"I can provide those, although the witness will need collecting. His name is Harry James Potter-Evans, and he's been adopted by a couple here in the States. He's living in San Antonio."

Ms. Barnes raised an eyebrow at that. "You're aware that Britain is looking for him."

Sirius shrugged. "He's not a wizard any more, and that means the Ministry has no authority over him. He's obeyed all of the laws of the United States and the MACUSA in the preparation for his adoption. And the only people he's told about magic are his new parents, because they needed to know his entire story."

"Good. Well, I'll need his contact information. Is he able to accept owl post?"

"Yes. In fact his own owl probably just reached him with my message that I was headed his way."

"Very well." She made a note on her clip board, then said, "For now, Mr. Black, why don't you tell me your story?"

~o~ ~O~ ~o~

Jimmy sat in the tidy government office with Mike on one side of him and Carlene on the other. They had received a subpoena for Jimmy to testify on Sirius's behalf. It was three days until Christmas.

The man at the desk in front of them was Hon. John Marsh III, the judge who would decide Sirius's fate. He was a dour-looking man, partially bald, with salt-and-pepper hair that had once been a dark brown. He said to Jimmy, "Thank you for coming, Mr. Evans. Mr. Black has called you as a witness to his defense, so we will be recording your statement and sending it to the court in Eagle Pass." He opened a box on his desk and removed a small orb that looked like hand-blown glass filled with swirling white smoke. Then he pulled out his wand and hovered over the orb. "Are you ready?"

Jimmy nodded. "I am."

Judge Marsh tapped the orb three times, and the smoke began to glow, swirling faster than before. Then he said, "This is the deposition of H. James Evans, also known as Jimmy, also known as Harry Potter, on the matter of the application for asylum of Sirius Orion Black. It is 3:49 PM on December 22, 1994. Jimmy, please recite for us the events as you saw them of June 6, 1993."

Jimmy took a deep breath and began. He told them everything, even the things that might get him in trouble, needing to be as clear as possible so that people would understand Sirius's innocence of the crimes he was charged with. He started with the apparent execution of Buckbeak so that the rest of the day would make sense, and ending with him and Hermione getting back to the infirmary. He told them about seeing Peter Petigrew, about how he had hidden for twelve years as a rat, becoming a pet of the Weasley family, how Peter had escaped when Remus had begun to change, and the nature of the circular paradox that had led to him saving himself and Sirius from the Dementors, and saving both Sirius and Buckbeak from the executioner by helping them to escape together. Judge Marsh asked several questions for clarification, mostly regarding different terms for things between American and British English.

After his deposition was complete, the judge tapped the orb with his wand once more, then returned it to the box he'd taken it out of. Then he said, "Again, I want to thank you for coming in today. I'll make sure this gets to the court as quickly as possible. I know that Mr. Black is hoping to join you on Christmas, and there is no reason to delay. A grave injustice was done this man by the British Ministry, for we have found no record of a trial. If this man is truly innocent of the crimes he was accused of, then he will most likely be granted asylum."

Jimmy grinned.

* * *

It was now Christmas Day, and Mike explained that, much like at Hogwarts, Christmas was not seen in their house as a religious holiday, but as a time of joy, thanksgiving and family. Jimmy woke early, excited by his first Christmas with his new family, but still feeling worried as to Sirius's disposition with the MACUSA and the MACTX, the national and Texas state governments for wizards. He didn't _think_ they'd extradite him back to Britain, but he couldn't help but worry about it.

Just the thought of allowing people to know where Sirius was had honestly bothered Jimmy to begin with. He'd worried that they'd just instantly shoot him or something. But, as was typical, Sirius had told him not to worry, and gone ahead and done it anyway. Thankfully, it seemed as if the Americans were much more interested in justice than their counterparts, and that Sirius had actually been taken, well, seriously.

Jimmy put his glasses on and put on his slippers, then slipped on a dressing gown over his pajamas. Mike and Carlene had decorated the house and were expecting all kinds of company, not only their own children and grand children, but brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, as well.

He came down the stairs and smiled at the Christmas tree. Mike had cut the tree just last week, and they'd all had fun decorating it and putting up garlands and ribbons. Blue and silver glass baubles shone from the evergreen boughs, mixed with personalized ornaments. Gwen's children had each made an ornament for the tree, which had become a tradition for the family, so Jimmy had added his own. It was a copy of the only still photo he had of himself, Ron and Hermione, taken at his request by Colin Creevy with a tourist camera he'd bought. Seamus, off camera, had cracked a joke about flying without a broom and all three of them had cracked up, so it was a good picture, and he'd made a simple frame for it with toothpicks, glue, and red and gold glitter, with a square of clear plastic from a packaging shell for the glass. Like all the other baubles, it was attached to the tree with a string. The top of the tree had a gigantic bow of blue and silver ribbon.

Darryl, Dennis and Katie were already seated at the breakfast table, shoving food down their throats as fast as they could so they could go sit in front of the tree and open their presents. Gwen was also seated, much more sedately eating and drinking her coffee. She scolded them to slow down. "Choking yourself won't let you open your presents any faster. We're all waiting for Dad to come back with the Granger side of the family since they just flew in."

Jimmy's face lit up at that pronouncement as he sat down to his own breakfast. Carlene handed him a cup of coffee, and he said, "Thank you. Hermione's here?"

"Robert and Jane, her parents, called us two nights ago, said Hermione was really wanting to come and see you, so they took the red-eye last night and got in this morning." Carlene grinned at him. "Excited?"

"I'll just be so happy to see her. I miss them, her and Ron both."

Jimmy had sent presents through the post to the address given him by Professor McGonagall so that the Weasley family would get his gifts, but he'd kept Hermione's back once he heard she was coming here to visit. He could give her her gift directly that way.

Darryl suddenly said, "Hey, quit it!" Jimmy looked up and saw a bit of cereal hanging off of his nose, and grinned.

"Dennis," Gwen said warningly.

"I didn't do it! It was Katie!"

"I didn't mean to," Katie protested at being outed.

"Then apologize."

"Sorry, Darryl."

"All right, you three, go and get cleaned up. Company should be here any minute. Jimmy, as soon as you're done there, you do the same. Did you have any special dishes you wanted to make for a Christmas treat?" In the Evans family, people didn't just bring presents. They also brought food. It was one of the most unusual things he'd ever heard of, having people bring food to a party you were hosting, but he soon realized that it was an excuse to show off one's prowess in the kitchen, as well as any new recipes you'd had success with, as well as mitigating the costs of having a huge celebratory feast. They did Thanksgiving, the American harvest festival, the same way. It was called a "pot luck" dinner. Thinking about it, Jimmy knew how to make a treacle tart, so he nodded. "Any special ingredients you might need?"

"I think we have everything here. I'll get started on it after breakfast dishes."

"All right. There are several things that have to make use of the oven, so we'll need to plan accordingly."

Jimmy had just put the tart into the oven, writing the time down on the sheet Carlene was keeping to make sure nothing burned, when the dogs started barking, indicating that someone was coming up the drive. He ran to the front door and saw Mike's pickup pulling into its customary spot. There in the back passenger seat was a bushy head of brown hair that he'd been waiting to see for over a month.

Divesting himself of the apron he'd been protecting his clothes with, Jimmy darted out the front door. Hermione saw him, and even from inside the cab he could see her face light up. She got her door open and ran to him, shouting, "Harry!" and hugging him for all he was worth, almost knocking him to the ground in the process. "It's so good to see you! I couldn't believe it when my parents said we could come!"

"I'm glad you're here, 'Mione. But it's Jimmy, now, Jimmy Evans."

"All right. I'll try to remember." She was still grinning at him. "Everyone sent their Christmas presents with me when I told them I was visiting you. Everyone made sure not to send anything too magical, but I'd be wary of Fred and George's gifts, anyway."

He grinned. "Believe me, you don't have to tell me that. Let's help get all the luggage inside." She nodded and together they began lifting bags and packages out of the back of the cab.

It turned out that the Granger side of the family hadn't been to America to visit ever since Hermione first got her Hogwarts letter, which meant that all of Gwen's children were much bigger than the last time she'd seen them. Hermione's father, Manny, whose mother was sister to Mike's father, had wanted to keep them fairly close to home because they couldn't do extended trips like he would have wanted them to if they were coming to America, so they'd stuck to holidays in Europe. But now that Hermione's best friend was now a part of that family, she would be pushing to visit more often.

By the time they'd gotten Hermione and her parents settled in one of the guest rooms, Adam and Tess had arrived. Bradford was off for the next three days, so he was here as well. And then a cab dropped off their last guest, one Sirius Black. Hermione was surprised, but happy to see him, and Jimmy was ecstatic. Sirius, who hadn't ever been in a Muggle house, had all kinds of questions, but had the sense not to ask them in front of Jimmy's new family due to not all of them being in on the Secret.

Christmas in the Evans house was a family affair. Several other family groups popped in during the day, but didn't stay as they had other gatherings to get to. Everyone knew Carlene would be cooking all day long, for all three meals, so they knew they could just pop in and visit without being a burden that she wasn't prepared for. Several left presents behind, and all were interested in meeting the new "baby" of the family, but since they didn't stay, the atmosphere didn't get too crowded. That said, there was plenty to do for all the kids that passed through that day, including playing with the kittens that the barn cat had just had, playing with the dogs, and ooing and awing over Hedwig, who drunk in the attention like the princess she was.

Sirius and Hermione came out with Jimmy at a time when the only kids around were Gwen's and they were all in the toy room looking at one of the new games that had been bought for them for Christmas. They got caught up with him on the magical side, Sirius verifying that he'd been granted asylum by MACUSA and resident alien status with a brand new green card, and Hermione letting them know how the Tournament was going. She also warned that there was a tabloid reporter for the Daily Prophet who was trying to find Harry Potter, and had been ever since he'd left Britain. "She's the worst sort of reporter, Jimmy, but I don't think she'll think to look here."

Sirius agreed. "Yeah, and America's a pretty big place." He shook his head. "No, I wouldn't worry about her. We might need to worry about others, though."

Jimmy said, "Like who?"

"Well, if I understand correctly, Tom Riddle's shade is still bumping around somewhere. I mean, it's not your job to stop him. But if he figures out where you are, if he ever finds a way to come back, you won't have any defense against him any more."

"You're not wrong," Hermione said, thinking out loud. "His plan this time was to use your blood somehow to come back, but I don't trust that there isn't another way he can do it. And Wormtail's apparently taking care of him for now."

"And there are plenty of others out there, Death Eaters that are hiding in polite society, and ones that are imprisoned in Azkaban. I know, for instance, my dear cousin Belatrix LeStrange, is there."

Jimmy nodded, stroking Hedwig's feathers thoughtfully. "Sounds like I need to learn how to defend myself in the Muggle way."

"You think that'll do any good against a wizard?" Sirius sounded skeptical.

"I don't know. But I won't just sit by and let them kill me, either." Neither magical could argue with that.

* * *

That night, after dinner, the family gathered around the tree and opened presents. All of the ones that had come from the Wizarding world Jimmy had put up in his bedroom, where he would open them later so that no one who wasn't magical themselves could see. But there were plenty of gifts that were not magical, though some had been made by magical means, and everyone had fun opening them. Hermione had gotten a new photo album for Harry that would still any photos that were magical so he could put pictures of his birth parents next to pictures of his adopted family. Ron had, of course, sent a selection of candies, but he'd been careful which kinds he sent, mostly Honeyduke's chocolate. Mike had given him a new journal, and Carlene had bought him a caligraphy set to go with it.

Then, after all the presents had been opened, Carlene, Gwen, Tess and Hermione's mother, Helen, all helped to serve coffee and pie from the kitchen. Mike got out his guitar, and Brad set up his electric drum set, both put on low volume since they were indoors. Gwen pulled out a wooden pipe, and Carlene wheeled an old upright piano into the room. They all played and sang Christmas carols and jammed out for the rest of the night, until the younger children started to fall asleep.

When the youngest ones had been put to bed, the adults stayed up talking for a bit longer, getting to know Sirius. They put his lack of knowledge about some things down to his unjust imprisonment, and he was able to fake it through the conversations. Jimmy learned a lot about his godfather that night.

He went to bed himself at about midnight, but took the time before actually going to sleep to put his pictures of his parents into the new album. He put the pictures of Ron and Hermione in there, as well, and his newest one, with his new family, in last.

* * *

The next morning, Jimmy got up when he felt like it, which was about nine in the morning, and ate a breakfast of eggs and sausage, followed by a slice of left-over pumpkin pie and a cup of coffee. Then he went outside to visit Hedwig. She had stayed outside last night to avoid the noise of the house, but he knew she'd come inside this morning to sleep. He grinned as she nibbled at his fingers. "Hello, old friend. Catch anything interesting last night?" She warbled at him in response.

"She's gorgeous, Jimmy." He turned his head to see Mike. "How long have you had her?"

"Since my eleventh birthday. My very first friend, Hagrid, gave her to me while he took me around Diagon Alley to do my school shopping. I didn't know anything about magic before that day, didn't know anything about my parents, or anything, really." And now he'd lost access to that world, all but a few small pieces of it.

Mike watched him stroking Hedwig's soft feathers. "You miss it. Of course you do. Nothing wrong with that."

But Jimmy shrugged. "I do. I miss the magic. I miss many of the people. But I don't miss the way people used to treat me. I was either a devil or a savior, with no middle ground. They wouldn't let me be just Harry. So, now I'll be just Jimmy." He looked Mike in the eye. "And you know what? I'm all right with that."

Mike grinned. "I'm glad." Then he straightened up. "Help me bring in the eggs?"

"Yeah."

* * *

 _Note: So, Jimmy's settling in, getting used to this new way of life. The next chapter will be back to school for everyone._


End file.
